Download the philippine plate

THE PHILIPPINE PLATE
Instructor: Ms. Katryn Wiese
Subject: OCAN1 Oceanography
Submitted by: Frances Villalon
Date: March 17, 2010
Location: Coordinates-26° N 132° E; Southeast
Asia; In the western Pacific Ocean; The Philippine
Plate lies beneath the Philippine Sea.
Classification: The Philippine Plate is a
tectonic plate comprising of oceanic
lithosphere.
Features found there: The
Philippine Plate is squeezed in
between the Eurasian Plate and the
Pacific Plate. What makes it complex
is that the Philippine Plate consists of
several micro-plates squeezed in
between two convergent plate
margins.
Okhotsk
Plate
Eurasia Plate
Philippine Plate
Pacific Plate
Australian Plate
Philippine Plate
Refer to Figure A
2 Subduction Zones
1. Manila Trench- Northwestern Subduction Zone
2. Philippine Trench- Southeastern Subduction Zone
•The blue lines with black triangles are active subduction zones with teeth on
the over-riding plate.
•The blue lines with white triangles are passive subduction zones with teeth
on the over-riding plate.
•The major Philippine fault zone is shown as a red line with arrows showing the
movement direction.
•The volcanoes Pinatubo and Mayon are the yellow squares. The volcanoes of
the Philippines are considered as one of the most deadliest in the world
because they sit above subduction zones.The Transform Fault that connects
the eastern and western subduction zones may be associated with the Mayon
Volcano. The Transform Fault is off-set by the north-south directed Philippine
Fault.
Figure A
Transform Fault
Manila Trench
Philippine Trench
Red: Transform Faults
Blue (Some with teeth): Subduction Zones
Describe origins:
•Crust of the Philippine Sea Plate origin has a basement of ophiolitic and/or arc origin. Ophiolites
are remnants of an early Mesozoic intro-oceanic arc rather than Pacific ocean floor. They are
overlain by and imbricated with arc volcanic and sedimentary rocks of Late Cretaceous-Eocene age;
arc plutonic rocks intrude the ophiolites
•The plutonic rocks that intrude the ophiolites are parts of the eastern Philippines and the ridges of
the north Philippine Sea.
•45 Ma—Change in Pacific Plate motion and plate reorganization.
•Products of volcanic arc at the edge of the Philippine Sea Plate: limestones, basaltic pillow lavas,
and turbites.
What makes this location oceanographically interesting?
•Philippines is an archipelago with 7, 107 islands---A chain or cluster of islands that are formed tectonically.
•The popular volcanoes Taal [Fig.1 & 2], Pinatubo [Fig.3 & 4], and Mayon [Fig.5].
Fig. 1 : A cinder cone in an acidic lake in Taal Volcano.
Fig. 2: Satelite image of Taal Volcano.
Fig. 3: Mount Pinatubo before 1991 eruption.
Fig. 5: Mayon
Volcano
Fig. 4: Explosive eruption at Mount Pinatubo after April 1991.
CONCLUSION:
For those who are unaware of what
lies beneath the tropical islands of the
Philippines are better off not knowing. The
Philippine islands shows breathtaking beauty,
yet with scientific research, some, including
myself, have been provided with facts that can
be lead to believe that the Philippine Plate is a
dangerous location.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Philippines Tectonics.” What On Earth. 2010. Retrieved 10 Mar. 2010
<http://whatonearth.olehnielsen.dk/philippines.asp>
“Philippine Sea Plate.” Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. 2010. Retrieved 6 Mar. 2010
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Sea_Plate>
“Philippines.” Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. 2010. Retrieved 6 Mar. 2010
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines>
“Sorong Fault Zone”. SEARG Southeast Asia Research Group. Retrieved 13 Mar. 2010
< http://searg.rhul.ac.uk/current_research/sorong_fault_zone/index.html>
Artist unknown. Google Images. “Taal Volcano.” 2007. Photograph. Oberon Rotary. Online. Oberonrotary.wordpress.com. Retrieved
10 Mar. 2010 <http://oberonrotary.wordpress.com/2007/06/>
Artist unknown. Google Images. “Taal Volcano Satellite Image.” Retrieved 10 Mar. 2010
< http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Taal_Volcan-Pansipit_River_satellite_image.gif>
T.J Casadevall. U.S. Geological Survey. “Mt. Pinatubo 1991 Eruption.” Retrieved 10 Mar. 2010
< http://www.ucar.edu/communications/staffnotes/0604/shorttakes.shtml>
Artist unknown. Google Images. “Mt. Pinatubo Before Eruption.” Retrieved 10 Mar. 2010
< http://www.uwec.edu/jolhm/EH2/Lennon/pictures.htm>
Buddy Dela Cruz.2008. “Mayon Volcano.” Retrieved 10 Mar. 2010
< http://buddy-dubaibase.blogspot.com/2008/05/new-seven-wonders-of-nature.html>
Artist unknown. Google Images. “Philippine Islands.” Retrieved 10 Mar. 2010
<http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9605/26/philippines.straggler/philippines.jpg>
“Philippine Plate Image.” Retrieved 9 Mar. 2010
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/slabs.html>